About to buy a 2021 base Sport instead of Sport S here's my thoughts why

[mountainpass]

I decided in Feb to buy a 2 door Wrangler. The thought was to have something fun and keep my Tundra, then I sat in the backseat of one at the dealer. No way my grandkids would be comfortable on the long ride to grandma and grandpa's house not to mention where the bags would go. Then mulled over selling the Tundra and getting a Gladiator, then the covid hit....so last month got the bug again. I found this forum, learned a little, then decided to buy a 2020 gator. On the test drive as soon as I pulled out of dealer's lot it wandered to the left, I corrected it and it wandered right. Ok at this point I thought maybe the steering tsb thread was in my head, but no it did it again, so no deal......a 2021 it is.

That gator had the dual top group( among lots of other options ) which really made me face the reality of storage( I mean the soft top crate takes up the entire bed ) and if I really needed a hardtop. I decided I really wanted the soft top. I searched for a soft top sport s but they are rare. I think the main reason is for 2021 it appears Jeep is forcing a sport S buyer to select(actually they are pre-selected) the convenience and technology groups, but if you simply choose the popular equipment package for $300 more ( it includes both those ) it gets you a hardtop. So to get the S it costs $4100, then if you want a hardtop it's just $300 more.

So once again I started thinking do I really need electric windows and locks, I mean I hope to have the doors off a lot anyway. Plus after reading about the electrical connector issue with doors, and the garage door opener visor costing $500 why complicate a Jeep. Plus I don't like the wheels on the S, the base black steel wheels look better to these old eyes.

When I was a kid Jeeps were utilitarian, a luxury one had an automatic, steel doors, and AC.

I think I will miss the ability to run waze on screen( maybe it's possible to upgrade, haven't explored that too much ) but basic seems OK, right even.

My wife is gonna miss the heated seats though I must admit.

Edit: I am getting the Max Tow version.

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[Gobi-Wan Kenobi]

I don't regret my base sport at all. I prefer using my phone for navigation since most of the built in systems feel dated after a while. You can add heated seats cheaply, I've done it myself on many vehicles. I plan to add heated seats and a brake controller and will put the switches in the spot where the power wind controls are on most Jeeps. I figure I can get a black piece of abs plastic to cover the hole and have the brake controller in the center with the heated seats on the bottom left and right of the hole.

The only annoying things about the base sport are the rear door locks and adjusting the passenger mirror. Unlocking the back doors is awkward however, I rarely lock the doors on my Jeep. I just keep the glove box locked and don't leave anything in the truck but that's a habit I got into years ago because I tend to drive Jeeps and convertibles and those are too easy to break into. Also it takes a second person to get the passenger mirror adjusted properly since it is manual, but unless someone else drives your Jeep you only have to adjust it once. These are both very minor annoyances.

 

[Shackleton]

I went with the Sport S with max tow. My wife had Power windows and locks as a must. I traded a tundra for it and am happy with my choice so far. I could’ve done the Sport but happy wife, happy life etc. I think it’s kind of crazy that you can buy a truck with a 37k sticker and not have power wi Dow’s but that’s what jeep chose. I do like the idea of less electronics means less things to break

 

[red/green hawk]

As a S owner I can confirm that having nowhere to store a hard top is an issue and taking it off is more or less a 2 person job. Can be done by yourself but a lot easier with 2.

 

[mountainpass]

I don't regret my base sport at all. I prefer using my phone for navigation since most of the built in systems feel dated after a while. You can add heated seats cheaply, I've done it myself on many vehicles. I plan to add heated seats and a brake controller and will put the switches in the spot where the power wind controls are on most Jeeps. I figure I can get a black piece of abs plastic to cover the hole and have the brake controller in the center with the heated seats on the bottom left and right of the hole.

The only annoying things about the base sport are the rear door locks and adjusting the passenger mirror. Unlocking the back doors is awkward however, I rarely lock the doors on my Jeep. I just keep the glove box locked and don't leave anything in the truck but that's a habit I got into years ago because I tend to drive Jeeps and convertibles and those are too easy to break into. Also it takes a second person to get the passenger mirror adjusted properly since it is manual, but unless someone else drives your Jeep you only have to adjust it once. These are both very minor annoyances.

Be interested in what product of heated seats you are going to use. Looked at OEM steering wheels, still haven't discerned which is a heated one, but I guess I first need to know if there is a plug ready for it(I'm sure it's not that simple though). As for the mirror my current truck has manual mirrors and it's been years since I've adjusted either. Yeah noticed the rear doors don't have keyholes. Have you looked into how to make the fob smaller, I mean it shouldn't have any buttons on it(wish it were just a key anyway)?

 

[mountainpass]

I went with the Sport S with max tow. My wife had Power windows and locks as a must. I traded a tundra for it and am happy with my choice so far. I could’ve done the Sport but happy wife, happy life etc. I think it’s kind of crazy that you can buy a truck with a 37k sticker and not have power wi Dow’s but that’s what jeep chose. I do like the idea of less electronics means less things to break

Yeah the pricing is out of control, case in point-my wife's suv has all the safety nannies on all trims....included! On the Jeep you have to buy the S ($4100) plus not one but two safety groups.
What really led me to start questioning all the above was when we went to drive that $47,000 gator and my wife said there aren't any usb ports in rear for kids(included in her $35,000 suv).

 

[mountainpass]

As a S owner I can confirm that having nowhere to store a hard top is an issue and taking it off is more or less a 2 person job. Can be done by yourself but a lot easier with 2.

Yeah I watched some videos and read some threads saying same. Seems to me if they had figured out how to have a power rear window slide down into rear wall and not be in the top it would have made it a lot simpler operation.

 

[Gobi-Wan Kenobi]

Be interested in what product of heated seats you are going to use. Looked at OEM steering wheels, still haven't discerned which is a heated one, but I guess I first need to know if there is a plug ready for it(I'm sure it's not that simple though). As for the mirror my current truck has manual mirrors and it's been years since I've adjusted either. Yeah noticed the rear doors don't have keyholes. Have you looked into how to make the fob smaller, I mean it shouldn't have any buttons on it(wish it were just a key anyway)?

You really can't make the key FOB much smaller unfortunately. Most of the space is taken up with electronics for the keyless ignition which the base sport still has. There is a kit you can get to make it slightly smaller by putting the electronics in a different case and making the key no longer flip out but instead be in a compartment. But it's only slightly smaller and last time I looked you couldn't get it without buttons so you would have useless buttons.

I do not think the base sport wiring harness is set up for heated seats or heated steering wheel, but I could be wrong I haven't looked into it closely. But my plans were to skip the wiring harness and just tap into 12V from one of my Aux switches, in the past I just used a cheap universal heated seat kit off of ebay for like $100 or $150 I think and will probably do the same here. The hardest part is usually getting the seat covers off and back on, hopefully that isn't too hard on the Gladiator. I have no plans for doing a heated steering wheel, I suspect that would be more expensive to do and I really don't want one.

 

[red/green hawk]

You really can't make the key FOB much smaller unfortunately.

My Renegade's fob was 1/2 the size, maybe a little bigger and it had push button start. Personally the size of current fob isn't an issue for me but I don't know why Jeep can't utilize the same dedign they have for a Renegade fob and use it for a Gladiator.

 

[Gobi-Wan Kenobi]

My Renegade's fob was 1/2 the size, maybe a little bigger and it had push button start. Personally the size of current fob isn't an issue for me but I don't know why Jeep can't utilize the same dedign they have for a Renegade fob and use it for a Gladiator.

Absolutely. Jeep could have made the FOB smaller and should have. If they already had another vehicle with the same system but a reasonable sized FOB then they should have used that. But because Jeep went a different route and used larger electronics, we can't make it much smaller with a new case. So until someone comes out with an aftermarket FOB that is smaller we are stuck with a huge thing in out pockets.

 

[jebiruph]

Absolutely. Jeep could have made the FOB smaller and should have. If they already had another vehicle with the same system but a reasonable sized FOB then they should have used that. But because Jeep went a different route and used larger electronics, we can't make it much smaller with a new case. So until someone comes out with an aftermarket FOB that is smaller we are stuck with a huge thing in out pockets.

It's not due to larger electronics, it's because of the flip out key. Jeeps models with smaller fobs do not have flip out keys to accommodate manual lock only vehicles.

 

[Mac]

I have a base Sport JK, not having power locks, power windows and mirrors was more of a pain than I thought it would be. I have a Sport S JT with a few options and it is very well equipped IMO, heated seats, heated steering wheel, remote start, garage door opener ect..

 

[red/green hawk]

we are stuck with a huge thing in out pockets.

Oh the places I could take this quote...

 

[red/green hawk]

It's not due to larger electronics, it's because of the flip out key. Jeeps models with smaller fobs do not have flip out keys to accommodate manual lock only vehicles.

They have pop out keys that take up just as much space.

 

[Willys2Gladiator]

Base Sport w/ Max tow and wouldn't change a thing!!!!

The more basic I could order it the better. Absolutely love the old school roll up windows.

We have just become too damn lazy. Oh. I have to walk around the other side to lock the back door. Oh damn.

And the price difference. My payment is actually manageable. $36K special order with Max tow, auto, tonneau cover, spray bed liner, slush mats and axillary switches.

Lots of $ left for upgrade.
Now added leveling kit, Sunrider top, Rubicon take off shocks, wheels and rock rails on 35" tires.

Love this Jeep!!!!!

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